top of page

Why it's not a good idea to learn Hebrew using Latin letters

  • Writer: Rut
    Rut
  • Jul 2
  • 3 min read

Updated: 6 days ago

 When you first start learning Hebrew, it could be simpler to use Latin characters (romanization) instead of the Hebrew alphabet. But this shortcut has several big problems that might slow down your development, particularly when it comes to learning verbs and how to conjugate them.


Do you prefer watching the video on this matter? Go to YouTube.


Why It's Not a Good Idea to Use Latin Letters for Hebrew


 1. Loss of Unique Sounds and Letters


 There are a lot of letters and sounds in Hebrew that aren't in English or other languages that use the Latin alphabet. When you write in Latin characters, various Hebrew letters sometimes get grouped together under the same symbol, which makes it hard to tell them apart. For instance, you may write both ח (chet) and כ (kaf) as "ch" or "kh," even though they are two separate letters and sounds.


 2. Making the language simpler and worse


 Romanization takes away the things that make Hebrew special. Latin letters can't do justice to the historical, cultural, and linguistic complexity of the script. The language seems less rich and complex because of this reduction.


3. Confusion and inconsistency


 There isn't one standard method to write Hebrew words in Latin characters. Different systems, instructors, and materials utilize different rules, thus the same term might seem different in different contexts. It's hard to know how to type or say things properly because of this discrepancy.


4. Things that make it hard to learn more


 You won't become used to the Hebrew alphabet if you just use Latin letters. This becomes a big problem as you become better, particularly when you wish to read, write, or utilize real materials.


5. Losing touch with Hebrew culture and texts


 The Hebrew script is very important to Jewish culture, sacred texts, and life in modern-day Israel. If you simply learn with Latin letters, you can't get to these sources or the larger cultural background.


 What does this mean for learning Hebrew verbs (binyanim)?


 When you attempt to learn Hebrew verbs and how to conjugate them (binyanim), the challenges above are worse:


1. Loss of Root Recognition


 Three-letter roots make up Hebrew verbs. In Hebrew writing, these roots are simple to see, yet they may be hard to find or mistaken with Latin letters. For instance:


he wrote: כָּתַב katav

he dictated: הִכְתִּיב hikhtiv

he corresponded: הִתְכַּתֵּב hitkatev


In Hebrew, the root כ.ת.ב is clear, but not in transliteration.



2. Mixing together sounds that are similar


 A lot of Hebrew letters look and sound alike, but they are not the same. These distinctions go away when you write them in Latin characters, which makes it easier to mix up roots and binyanim, and translations.


לַחְרוֹג

לַהֲרוֹג


Written with khet, it means "to exceed", with hey, it means "to kill".




3. Made it harder to learn conjugation tables


 It's much simpler to see patterns between verbs and forms when you write in Hebrew. When you transliterate, everything becomes mixed up, which makes it difficult to remember and apply conjugation tables.


4. Not much progress beyond the basics


 To use dictionaries, textbooks, and talk to other people, you will need to be able to read and write actual Hebrew as you become better. If you just use Latin letters, you won't be able to learn irregular verbs, little differences, and real texts, all of which are necessary for full proficiency in binyanim.


Bottom line:

It may seem like a rapid way to learn Hebrew to use Latin letters, but it soon leads to a dead end, particularly when it comes to comprehending and mastering Hebrew verbs. If you accept the script from the beginning, you'll be able to see the actual logic and beauty of the language.

 
 
 

Comments


bottom of page